Singapore suspends quail egg imports from Malaysian farm providing 20% of supply

SINGAPORE — Singapore has suspended the import of fresh quail eggs from a Malaysian farm that provides 20 per cent of its total quail egg supply, after finding a drug residue on the product.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) told CNA on Friday (Oct 4) that it suspended imports from Telic Farm in Malaysia after nicarbazin, a drug that functions as an oral contraceptive for birds, was detected in its quail eggs last month.

Nicarbazin is also used to prevent certain parasitic diseases in poultry.

A circular on the suspension was announced on SFA's website on Monday.

"The suspension will be in place until SFA has verified that the farm has measures in place to ensure that their eggs do not contain drug residues and are safe for human consumption," the agency said in response on Friday to queries from CNA.

Singapore gets its quail eggs — both fresh and processed — from countries such as Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, with some locally produced, said SFA.

Last year, Telic Farm exported about 17 million fresh quail eggs to Singapore. This accounts for about 20 per cent of Singapore's total quail egg supply, SFA added. CNA

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